Budapest, March 9 (MTI) – Hungary can meet all European Union standards and demands when it comes to increasing the proportion of renewable energy, expanding cross-border energy capacity and guaranteeing secure energy supplies, a government official told a conference on Thursday.

Addressing the conference organised by news portal Napi.hu and public relations agency Noguchi Porter Novelli, András Aradszki said Hungary’s long-term supply needs can be met in a timely way and at a reasonable price.

Hungary has already raised the proportion of renewables, but weather-dependent sources are insufficient to cover the country’s energy needs, he said.

With a view to achieve targets set at the 2015 Paris climate summit, Hungary has taken major steps in the direction of decarbonizing, one of which has been extending the lifetime of extant reactor blocks of the Paks nuclear power plant as well as pressing ahead with the planned expansion of the plant with a further two blocks.

Regarding the continuity of gas supplies, he said 80 percent of the country’s needs are imported so great importance is attached to diversifying supplies.

Attila Aszódi, government commissioner for the planned upgrade of Hungary’s sole nuclear power plant in Paks, noted that the European Commission had issued all the necessary permits for the project. The EC concluded that once completed the plant could be operated profitably.